Improvement in fence-posts



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE VANAUKEN, OF PHELPS, NEW YORK,

MPROVEMENT IN FENCE-POSTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,{')73, dated September 15, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE VANAUKEN, of Phelps, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fences; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a partof this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents, in perspective, a section of a fence constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one ot' the .fencesposts Fig. 3 is a side elevation or edge view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several 1i gures.

This invention relatesto that class of fences which are composed of uprights or posts and longitudinal rails, the latter being nailed or otherwise permanently fastened to the former, which are set in the ground, and by this means alone support or sustain the structure in an upright position.

The chief objection urged against fences which are supported by having their posts set in the ground is that the posts soon rot or decay. To overcome this difficulty and at the same time produce a fence at a less cost is the object of this invention.

To this end it consists in a peculiar manner of attaching the lower end of the upright or post (which is about one-third less in length than the ordinary fence-post) to the upper part of a stone resting on the ground and banked up on both sides, or set in the ground, whichever way may be preferred, all as will be hereinafter fully explained.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to fully understand and construct the same, I will proceed to de- Y scribe it.

A represents the uprights or posts, which may be any kind of wood most suitable and convenient to the farmer or builder. The posts are cut oft' square at .their lower ends and each secured or fastened to a liat quarrystone, B, by two bolts, b b, (shown in dotted lines in Figs. 3,) said bolts being provided on one end with a square or any other suitablyshaped head, and on the other with a screwthread adapted to receive a screw-nut and washer. The head ot' the bolt is let into a countersink or cavity in the post, ush with the surface of the same.

C are the usual longitudinal rails, permanently fastened to the posts by nails or otherwise.

In constructing a fence according to my improved plan, the rails and posts being first got out of the proper size and shape, I take stones of from two to three feet high and from ten inches to a foot in width, as they happen to be, choosing of course those nearest to a certain thickness. Those stones not of a proper shape to admit of the attachment of the post I dress on two opposite sides, so that the post will lie flat against one side and the nuts and washers ofthe bolts against the other side. I then make two holes transversely through the stone, two, three, or four inches apart, and bore holes of a corresponding size and distance apart through the posts. The posts and stones are now fastened together by the bolts b b, as shown by Fig. 3 of the drawings.

To set the posts the stones are buried in the ground up to where they are attached to the posts, or they may set on the ground and be banked up on both sides, as shown in Fig. 1, whichever way may be preferred. This latter plan, however, is the one which I prefer, and which I shall generally adopt. When the posts are set above the ground, they do not require to be of so great length as when set in the ground, nor does the fence require so many longitudinal rails by at least one, as the embankment .answers every purpose of the usual lower rail.

A fence constructed upon the above plan is more durable and less expensive than when constructed in the usual manner.

It also affords convenient and efficient means of repairing old fences of which the posts have rotted 0E or become insecure by the decay of the lower ends. In such cases the decayed part of the post may be cut ofi and the post bolted to the stone in the manner described, after which the fence will be adapted to last many times as long as before.

I am aware that it has been proposed to construct durable fence-posts by combining with the ordinary wood which is used in forming that part of the post above the ground, stone, or other kind of wood less liable to injury or decay by remaining under ground, as is set forth in the application of Martin P. Goodrich, rejected April 19, 1859. This, therefore, I do not claim. My invention differs from that of the said Goodrich in this respect: That I bolt 111x post to the face of the stone by means ot' one or more bolts passing directly through both stone and post, at a sufticient distance from the end oi' the latter to aft'ord the requisite strength and avoid all danger of splitting, drawing, or rotting out, whereas in Goodrichs invention the post is -placed directly on top of the stone, necessitating the use of a metallic hoop or flange to connect them, and aftbrding at best but an insecure and temporary though costly fastening. It is manifest that the bottom ot' a post thus placed will be almost constantly subjected to the iniuence of moisture held between it and the stone, and the bolts being necessarily near' the end of the post Will be rendered insecure by a slight extent of decay.

While distinctly disclaiming the general idea of supporting a fence by attaching its posts to stones, and thus preserving the wood from contact with the earth, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Supporting a fence by boltin g the posts A, to which the horizontal rails or boards C are attached, to the Vertical faces and near the upper ends of flat stones B, set edgewise in or upon the ground, all as herein particularly described, and for the purposes specied.

GEORGE VANAUKEN.

Witnesses:

J AMES H. GRIDLEY, J oHN l?. J AcoBs. 

